Backfire
by twaisiarp
Summary: Complete made up plot where Annabeth is lost. The team gradually breaks up and the ones remain are struggling to trust one another.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey, I hope whoever reads this can tolerate my mistakes in this story, and most important of all, enjoy it. Thanks**_

**JASON**

"What the _hell_ were you thinking, Jackson?" Jason barked, his hands shivering with sparks of lightning. "You almost got us killed."

He took Piper's hand immediately when she reached out at him, limping a bit. The sparkles dancing off his hands died down slowly as hers closed around his.

"We've got to get going, Grace." Percy said simply before turning slightly, ready to leave. Jason felt a surge of anger rush through his body and before he did something he was sure he'd regret, Piper squeezed his hand firmly just in time. "Percy's right, we're still in danger."

"Fine," Jason said.

_Later, Jackson. _He thought.

Even though he couldn't exactly make out Percy's expression in the darkness of the deep night, Jason was quite sure that he saw him nod. He tried to push the rage out of his mind for Piper's sake, and succeeded for his heart sank the moment he heard her whimper when trying to move her legs to walk, apparently suppressing cries of pain from the wounds that the explosion caused her.

"Nico's got plenty of ambrosia and nectar, Pipes. You'll be fine soon," He reassured and wounded an arm around her waist as they walked shoulder by shoulder, Percy leading the way in the front a few steps away.

**PERCY**

Their way heading back to the camping base was absolutely excruciating. With each step, the quiet shifting sounds of shoes stepping on tall grass, the dreadful smell of burned fabric lingering in the air, and the breathings of the three of them exhaled restrainedly, everything just added to the straining silence among them.

As they proceeded, the tension grew so thick Percy could practically feel it stuck in his lungs. Jason's constant murmurs of comforting words to Piper was audible, and every time upon hearing, Percy would wince at the mere thought of how the flames must have burned Piper's skin and nearly resulted in her death.

He knew an unavoidable argument-no, a _fight_ with Jason was bound to happen later. He got what Jason was feeling right now. The horror overwhelming him when Annabeth was stabbed and the blazing fury that subsequently prompted him to smack Ethan on the head almost brutishly, those feelings were something that still panicked him whenever he thought about it.

Despite this understanding and the anticipation of the imminent fight with Jason, right now as they headed for the camping place, the only thing Percy was bracing himself for was to not break down emotionally in the process of the fight.


	2. Chapter 2

**NICO**

Staying at the camping place alone, already having lost count of how many hours Percy, Jason and Piper had been away long ago, Nico was out the tent in a second when he heard them return.

It was easy to tell that Piper was about to pass out from pain any moment, and it was more than just _obvious, _that something was wrong between Percy and Jason. Nico could tell from the dead silence and the distant look on their faces and in their interaction, which was no conversation and no exchange of words. At all.

"Whoa, careful." Nico decided to let it go for now and went to Piper's side quickly, took her into the tent with Jason following after.

Together the two took care of Piper's leg and when they were done with it-even though the wounds were far from being healed-she didn't look pained anymore as she drifted to sleep.

To tell the truth, Nico wasn't sure what he felt about this perfect Lightning Guy and his Beauty Queen girlfriend. Sure, they seemed nice by nature, yet he'd gone through enough to learn not to trust others too easily. Even though he couldn't exactly say he'd gradually took to them since they went on the quest together...still, they were Percy's friends. And Percy was the first person he'd trusted besides Bianca. That's got to count for something. He did care for Jason and Piper, and was naturally curious about how the mission went.

"So...anyone tired? Who needs some ambrosia or nectar?" Nico asked, in a dismal attempt to act casual.

**JASON**

Jason snapped at Percy all at once.

"You, what was wrong with you back there?"

Despite the fact that Nico knew something was off, it was apparent that he didn't see this coming. "Whoa! Chill out, Jason."

"It's fine, Nico." Percy said calmly.

"It's nowhere near fine, Jackson." Jason could barely control himself. "You stuck to the plan? No. You listened to us? No. What did you freaking do right? _Nothing_."

"Too much Greek fire?" He heard Nico mutter and shot a glare at him. "We prepared just the adequate amount. Everything went good, until _he_ almost killed Piper right there on the spot!"

"I couldn't exactly decide when to throw the fire," Percy said anxiously.

"You couldn't decide? What do you mean you couldn't decide?" He couldn't help but yelled, "We talked about this beforehand!"

On that, Percy swirled abruptly and came face to face with him.

"I knew exactly when to do it, alright? I remembered the plan, I just couldn't." Percy tried to explain, his words hastily spoken. But something about Percy felt strange to Jason. He wasn't even in the mood to get in a fight. He was distressed, even fretful and restless somehow. And then Jason noticed. Percy was _confused_.

But _why_?

**NICO**

"You didn't do it the right time anyway."

"I wanted to but there was no time, plus-"

"But Piper was there! She was there, _right there_ in the warehouse!"

"I know!"

"So why? You could have waited till she was ready!" Jason cried.

"Even though I saw Piper, I couldn't have made the other choice, I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry." Percy said afterwards. His voice broke at the last few words, and it shocked Nico just how broken Percy seemed.

"I don't want an apology, Jackson. I want an explanation."

"I told you. And I didn't mean it."

"You didn't explain a shit, Jackson." Jason snapped.

This is ridiculous. That dude Jason, was still accusing Percy and _accusing_, is something you never do to your teammates. You trust them completely, put your life in their hands, reply on them to save your butt so you can save them the next second; you work together and _for_ each other, fail together and sometimes, well, you fail each other. It's usually clear what-or who- is the main reason why things go wrong, _but_ _you don't blame_. You simply don't. Nico had no idea what's gotten Jason.

Wait_. I saw Piper. _That was what Percy had said.

"Stop pressing on, Jason. You're blaming Percy." Nico interfered.

So Percy knew Piper hadn't left faraway enough, but set the warehouse on fire nevertheless to ward off the clusters of monsters on the other end...Nico presumed from what he'd caught of the conversation so far.

There's someone else in the house, Nico thought. Of course.

_Annabeth was there._


End file.
